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A STRATEGIC  PLAN 
MISSIONARY  WOfRk 

Among  the  Bainanese 
Speaking  People 
in  China  ^ ^ 


By  Rev.  Alfred  E.  Street 


“He  that  believeth  on  me,  the 
works  that  I do  shall  he  do  also.’’ 
—John  14;12. 


Fort  Wayne,  Ii.d.,  June,  1906. 

The  Kiungchow  Union  Mission  (Incorporat- 
ed) has  been  organized  as  an  agency  through 
which  God’s  people  can  evangelize  the  Next 
Generation  and  establish  a native  Christian 
Church  in  the  Island  of  Hainan  and  neighboring 
regions.  (The  name  “Kiungchow”  is  the  Chinese 
official  designation  of  Hainan.) 


Board  of  Directors. 


Rev.  Frank  H.  Heydenburk,  Terre  Haute,  Ind. 


Aefred  HoezworTh, 

John  S.  House,  - 
Edward  Reed, 

Gidbert  C.  Wildson, 

Mrs.  Maude  F.  Waeker, 
Rev.  Aefred  E.  Street, 

Officers. 


FortWarme,  Ind. 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Kiungchow,  Hainan. 


President,  - REV.  Frank  H.  Heydenburk. 
Vice-President,  Alfred  Holzworth. 
Secretary,  - - Mrs.  Maude  F.  Walker. 
Treasurer,  - - John  S.  House. 
Superintendent,  Rev.  Alfred  E.  Street. 
Address  all  communications  to 
Box  473,  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  U.  S.  A. 


A strategic  plan  for  missionary  work  de- 
signed to  reach  three  million  people 
with  the  least  expenditure  of  money, 
men,  time  and  labor. 

The  result  of  ten  years  spent  in  the 
island  of  Hainan,  China,  engaged  in  var- 
ious forms  of  missionary  effort,  has  been 
to  make  a profound  impression  upon  my 
mind  of  the  possibilities  of  the  line  of 
work  presented  below  which  I am  now 
undertaking. 

It  is  a strategic  plan  because  it  is  de- 
signed to  take  advantage  of  a circum- 
stance which  makes  it  possible  to  meet 
at  one  place  individuals  from  every  sec- 
tion of  a country  and  class  of  the  people. 

I.  WHERE  ? 

Among  the  Hainanese  speaking  people 
in  China  who  live  on  the  Island  of  Hainan 
and  the  adjoining  peninsula. 

The  extreme  southern  end  of  China, 
part  of  the  province  of  Canton,  consists 
of  the  Island  of  Hainan,  290  miles  S.W. 
from  Hongkong.  It  is  about  the  same 
size  as  Formosa,  190  miles  long  by  100 
broad,  and  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of 
the  gulf  of  Tongking. 


3 


The  government  is  in  the  hands  of  a 
Taotai  with  his  capital  at  Kiungchow  on 
the  island,  and  a sub-capital  for  the  penin- 
sula at  Liuchiu,  a city  8o  miles  north  of 
Kiungchow. 

The  people  are  mostly  Chinese,  descen- 
dants of  emigrants  from  the  province  of 
Fokien.  In  the  mountains  of  the  interior 
are  half-naked  wild  savages,  nominally 
ruled  by  the  Chinese,  They  are  called 
the  “Loi”  (Black  People)  and  are  shown 
by  similarity  of  language  to  be  related 
to  the  “Lao”  of  Siam. 

A medley  of  languages  is  spoken  among 
both  Chinese  and  Loi,  but  a common 
means  of  intercommunication  is  found  in 
the  HAINANESE  DIALECT,  which 
thus  becomes  the  most  important  mission- 
ary medium.  This  dialect  is  not  found  in 
any  other  part  of  China  and  extends  north 
above  the  Erench  possession  of  Koang- 
chiu  Gang,  being  used  over  a region  300 
miles  long  from  the  south  of  the  Island 
of  Hainan  to  the  upper  base  of  the  penin- 
sula. 


II.  WHAT  IS  THE  PLAN  ? 

A,  The  Opportunity. 

Ten  thousand  “students,”  with  forty  to 
fifty  thousand  friends,  come  up  to  Kiung- 
chow every  three  years  to  the  Imperial 
Civil  Service  Examination. 


4 


They  are  the  leaders  and  the  rulers  of 
the  people.  They  come  from  every  nook 
and  comer  of  the  Chinese  parts  of  the 
Island. 

Among  them  are  men  that  we  would 
not  be  likely  to  get  the  ears  of  for  years, 
if  we  do  not  meet  them  at  the  examina- 
tions. 

These  “students”  are  of  every  age  and 
condition  in  life.  Boys  in  their  teens  and 
men  of  sixty  come  year  after  year  to  be 
examined  for  a degree  that  confers  certain 
rights  and  privileges  which  are  a source 
of  pecuniary  gain  and  political  power. 
Success  in  this  examination  is  the  first 
step  on  the  ladder  that  reaches  to  the 
highest  offices  under  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment. 

Naturally  such  a matter  is  of  great  im- 
portance to  every  family  sending  a candi- 
date, and  there  are  so  many  complicated 
transactions  involved  in  the  examination 
that  each  candidate  desires  the  assistance 
of  several  friends.  These  friends  going 
up  to  the  city  with  the  eager-eyed,  anx- 
ious candidate  are  the  ordinary  people 
and  Avell  represent  all  classes  of  the  en- 
tire Chinese  population.  The  savage 
“Loi”  do  not  compete  for  degrees ; they 
have  almost  no  schools. 

While  up  at  the  examinations  every  one 


S 


has  considerable  leisure  on  his  hands,  and 
since  they  have  an  extremely  narrow 
range  of  amusements,  gambling  the  main 
one,  there  is  ample  time  to  attend  our 
meetings  so  that  a crowd  always  stops  to 
hear  us  at  certain  hours  of  the  day. 

These  crowds  do  not  disperse  for  sev- 
eral weeks,  the  length  of  time  varying 
from  3^ear  to  year ; the  date  also  is  uncer- 
tain, since  it  is  determined  by  the  caprice 
and  comfort  of  the  “Examiner”  who 
comes  from  a distance. 

In  each  cycle  of  three  years,  the  third 
year  has  the  “large”  examination,  draw- 
ing the  largest  crowds,  the  second  year 
has  the  secondary  examination  drawing 
smaller  crowds,  while  the  first  year  af- 
fords no  special  excitement. 

On  the  peninsula,  candidates  for  a de- 
gree meet  at  Luichiu,  either  before  or  af- 
ter the  Kiungchow  examination,  the  same 
“Examiner”  conducting  both. 

B.  What  Should  Be  Done? 

(i)  Open  a Chapel  where  the  “Good 
News”  can  be  given  to  these  crowds ; and 
we  become  mutually  acquainted. 

As  among  students  of  all  countries, 
such  a spirit  of  lawlessness  prevails  that 
it  is  best  to  open  a chapel  within  which  a 
certain  degree  of  order  can  be  maintained. 


6 


and  the  restraint  of  a private  building- 
keep  the  cro-wds  quieter  than  they  would 
be  in  the  open  air.  Also  because  of  this 
lawlessness  it  is  very  difficult  for  a native 
to  stand  before  the  “students”  and  preach  ; 
consequently  the  foreigner  must  do  it  in 
person.  Men  return  day  after  day  until 
they  feel  quite  at  home  v/ith  us  and  their 
faces  become  familiar  to  us. 

(2)  Use  this  acquaintance  as  an  intro- 
duction to  the  homes  of  the  people  after 
they  have  scattered  to  their  villages. 

In  the  intervals  betv/een  the  examina- 
tions there  is  constant  work  of  the  most 
fruitful  nature  to  be  done  in  traveling 
from  place  to  place  among  the  market 
towns  and  villages,  but  when  a stranger 
approaches  a village  he  is  feared  as  a rob- 
ber or  oppressor,  and  it  is  difficult  to  get 
at  the  people  on  account  of  this  suspicion. 
On  the  other  hand,  one  who  can  be  recog- 
nized by  the  village  school-teacher  as  the 
man  who  was  talking  doctrine  at  the  city 
diiring  the  examinations  becomes  an  ob- 
ject of  curiosity,  and  the  teacher  is  rather 
proud  of  being  able  to  tell  something 
about  the  stranger. 

(3)  Have  a place  in  Kiungchew  v/here 
visiters  to  the  city  can  come  to  read  our 
books ; learn  more  of  the  nev/  cl  -^ctrines ; 


7 


and  become  better  acquainted  with  us; 
i.e.,  a place  for  “inquirers.” 

A continuous  stream  of  “students”  is 
going  back  and  forth  between  Kiungchow 
and  the  country  at  all  seasons,  and  it  is  a 
great  thing  for  the  missionary  while  sit- 
ting in  the  home  of  the  country  scholar 
to  be  able  to  cordially  invite  him  to  drop 
in  and  visit  us  when  he  comes  up  to  the 
city.  When  the  invitation  is  accepted,  a 
long  time  is  required  for  a satisfactory 
visit  and  provision  must  be  made  for  our 
friend,  after  he  is  through  seeing  the  for- 
eigner, to  sit  around  and  pump  all  the  na- 
tives connected  with  us  in  any  way  as  to 
our  peculiarities  and  qualities,  what  we 
really  are  and  are  trying  to  do,  especially 
what  he  can  possibly  make  oitt  of  us. 
We  are  quite  generally  supposed  to  be 
emissaries  of  the  U.  S.  Government. 

( 4 ) Eventually  to  open  a school  where 
English  is  taught. 

The  great  demand  for  foreign  learning 
leads  many  to  come  to  the  missionary  for 
instruction.  In  all  parts  of  the  island  we 
are  besieged  by  questions  as  to  whether  a 
son  can  come  to  school  to  us,  and  many 
men  make  the  same  request  for  them- 
selves. 


8 


III.  CAN  THE  PLAN  BE  CARRIED 
OUT  ? 


It  has  already  succeeded.  Three  sea- 
sons of  experience  have  carried  it  beyond 
the  realm  of  theory  into  effective  practice. 

The  only  part  of  the  plan  to  be  ques- 
tioned is  as  to  whether  the  “students” 
can  be  reached  successfully  by  such  work 
and  at  the  close  of  this  statement  is  an 
account  of  what  has  actually  been  done. 

IV.  WHY  THIS  APPEAL? 

Nothing  whatever  is  now  being  done 
to  take  advantage  of  this  priceless  oppor- 
tunity ! 

More  than  this  there  is  nothing  to  indi- 
cate that  the  present  forces  on  that  field 
can  ever  do  it. 

The  American  Presbyterian  Mission  is 
the  only  mission  among  the  Hainanese. 
They  have  three  stations  with  a force  of 
17-20  men  and  women,  among  whom  6 
are  clergymen  and  3 are  physicians,  in  a 
population  of  nearly  four  million,  the  pop- 
ulation of  Greater  New  York,  living  in  a 
region  300  miles  long. 

There  is  only  one  well-established  and 
well  organized  Mission  School,  and  that 


9 


is  not  in  the  Hainanese  dialect,  but  in  the 
Hakka,  and  is  located  8o  miles  S.W.  from 
Kiungchow,  at  Nodoa.  The  Hakkas  are 
clannish,  and  this  school  does  not  furnish 
men  to  work  among  the  Hainanese.  The 
native  schools  do  not  teach  practical 
knowledge,  even  reading  not  being  learn- 
ed by  most  of  their  pupils. 

V.  WHAT  IS  NEEDED  IN  KIUNG- 
CHOW ? 

( 1 ) A cliapel  with  book-room  and  resi- 
dence for  a native  helper  all  in  one  build- 
ing. 

This  should  be  located  near  the  exam- 
ination hall  where  the  crowds  are  thick- 
est. 

(2)  Headquarters  and  residence  for  the 
foreigners. 

(3)  Buildings  in  connection  with  the 
headquarters  for  the  accommodation  of 
our  visiting  friends  and  “inquirers.” 

These  have  to  be  separate  from  our 
apartments  and  can  be  constructed  in  a 
much  cheaper  manner.  There  is  every 
probability  that  all  these  buildings  will 
have  to  be  built  by  us. 


10 


VI.  MEN  NEEDED. 

(1)  A lay  missionary  to  assist  the  su- 
perintendent. 

Experience  has  proven  that  it  is  too 
much  for  one  man  to  undertake  building 
operations  alone.  He  has  to  be  owner, 
architect,  contractor  and  general  mana- 
ger. The  purchase  of  materials  and  su- 
perintendence of  workmen  has  to  be  at- 
tended to  by  us  in  person,  while  many  of 
the  mechanical  details  have  to  be  worked 
out  by  us  and  in  some  cases  even  executed 
by  our  hands. 

At  all  times  it  is  best  to  have  a layman 
whose  main  duties  shall  be  the  manage- 
ment of  the  business  side  of  the  work. 
He  must  be  as  spiritual  as  the  others,  for 
he  enjoys  much  opportunity  for  the  same 
missionary  work  that  the  clerical  mem- 
bers of  the  mission  perform,  and  it  is  a 
position  not  a whit  less  important  than 
any  other. 

(2)  Two  more  men  should  follow  so  as 
to  be  on  the  ground  as  soon  as  the  above 
buildings  are  finished. 

It  is  not  wise  for  these  men  to  go  out 
at  first,  because  of  the  lack  of  houses.  A 
native  house  has  to  be  rented  for  a term 
of  years,  and  several  hundred  dollars  lost 
in  repairs  and  changes  necessary,  while  at 


II 


best  the  buildings  cannot  be  made  sani- 
tary. 

(3)  Ten  more  men  can  be  put  to  work 
as  fast  as  houses  can  be  provided. 

The  room  for  growth  is  practically  un- 
limited in  every  direction.  Especially  the 
examination  at  Luichiu  commands  the 
peninsula  in  the  same  way  that  the  one 
in  Kiungchow  commands  the  island.  At 
one’s  very  door  is  every  kind  of  work 
with  no  one  to  do  it. 

VII.  FINANCIAL  NEEDS. 

The  amount  of  financial  support  given 
and  the  number  of  men  supplied  will  de- 
termine how  much  shall  be  undertaken. 

Quite  large  sums  of  money  at  once 
would  be  advantageous  because  this  is 
not  the  beginning  of  a new  enterprise, 
but  rather  the  attempt  to  put  approved 
work  into  such  shape  that  it  will  be  most 
effective  and  to  lay  solid  foundations  for 
sound  growth. 

It  is  the  Master’s  work,  therefore  we 
trust  Him  to  send  the  means  and  men  that 
will  enable  us  to  do  just  those  things  that 
He  wishes  done  now. 

VIII.  SPIRITUAL  NEEDS. 

Missionary  work  is  essentially  a spirit- 
ual contest  waged  with  spiritual  weapons 


12 


for  spiritual  results  (Eph.  vi.  12)  ; There- 
fore— 

The  most  important  of  all  needs  is  for 
friends  to  continually  offer  believing  pray- 
er ( i ) that  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  thrust 
forth  laborers,  (2)  that  His  Spirit  work 
through  those  on  the  held. 

The  laborers  needed  can  be  divided  into 
three  classes : 

(1)  Earnest  intercessors  in  the  home- 
land to  bring  to  the  aid  of  those  in  the 
blackness  of  heathenism  an  atmosphere 
of  prayer  something  like  that  which  sur- 
rounds those  engaged  in  Christian  work 
in  America,  and  to  plead  with  the  Lord 
that  no  one  will  be  sent  abroad  who  is 
not  set  apart  to  this  work  as  Paul  and 
Barnabas  were  by  the  Holy  Spirit : also 
that  those  in  the  field  continually  receive 
fresh  fillings  with  the  Spirit  and  with  fire. 

(2)  Native  helpers  upon  whom  the 
burden  of  the  salvation  of  a people  must 
ultimately  fall. 

(3)  Missionaries,  who  serve  as  the  vis- 
ible connection  between  the  lost  heathen 
and  the  spiritual  forces  at  work  for  their 
salvation. 

Pray  that  the  Spirit  of  God  work 
mightily  both  at  home  and  on  the  field 
giving  wisdom,  money,  health,  prudence. 


13 


boldness,  that  we  may  speak  the  truth  as 
we  ought  and  be  workmen  that  need  not 
be  ashamed. 

IX.  WHY  I UNDERTAKE  THIS 
WORK. 

Because  I am  only  planning  to  go  on 
from  the  point  to  which  ten  years’  experi- 
ence has  brought  me,  and  to  build  the 
foundations  already  prepared  for  at  great 
expenditure  of  time,  toil  and  money. 

In  China  no  missionary  can  take  the 
place  of  another,  for  each  man  is  received 
among  the  Chinese  on  his  personal  mer- 
its, not  by  virtue  of  his  position,  and  has 
to  attain  to  a standing  with  the  people. 
Then  for  a long  time  I have  desired  to  do 
this  work  because  of  my 

PREVIOUS  EXPERIENCES  WITH 
THE  “STUDENTS.” 

The  peculiar  character  of  the  ignorant, 
conceited,  proud  “student”  makes  it  a 
difficult  task  to  reach  him.  Consequently 
it  has  been  a serious  problem  how  to  take 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  afforded  by 
the  examinations. 

In  1896  I made  my  first  attempt  at  solv- 
ing the  problem  by  holding  meetings  for 
the  “students”  in  the  guest  hall  of  our 


14 


house,  some  distance  back  from  the  street, 
where  the  large  crowds  would  not  come. 
At  the  time  there  did  not  seem  to  be  any 
encouraging  results,  but  long  after  it 
transpired  that  a man  who  is  now  one  of 
our  best  helpers  first  became  interested 
in  the  truth  through  the  meetings  held  at 
that  time. 

Some  years  later  it  was  possible  to  try 
again  when  increased  experience  made 
possible  more  extensive  and  effective  ef- 
forts. We  used  a room  opening  on  the 
street  with  a dirt  floor,  ant-eaten  timbers, 
and  general  disreputable  character  of  dirt, 
smoke  and  ruin.  Three  sides  were  bright- 
ened up  by  placards  of  white  muslin,  four 
feet  long  by  half  a yard  wide,  bearing 
texts  of  Scripture  in  large  Chinese  char- 
acters. Some,  benches  with  a chair  on 
them  served  for  a platform,  from  which  I 
addressed  crowds  as  many  hours  a day  as 
I could  talk.  It  was  a hard  task  to  hold 
one’s  own  with  the  unruly  pride  and  scorn 
of  those  who  came  to  see  the  sights.  A 
favorite  amusement  for  them  was  to  quote 
long  passages  from  the  Classics.  Inas- 
much as  no  one  speaks  the  written  lan- 
guage, it  can  be  understood  only  by  those 
who  have  studied  and  committed  to  mem- 
ory the  passages  quoted,  and  I was  a fair 
target  for  them,  my  ignorance  only  serv- 
ing to  confirm  them  in  the  feeling  of  su- 
periority to  the  “Foreign  Devil.”  Being 


15 


so  discredited  from  the  beginning,  it  did 
seem  a hopeless  task  with  no  adequate  re- 
sult for  the  severe  labor  involved,  but 
those  quotations  set  me  to  thinking  and  I 
decided  to  carry  the  war  into  the  enemy’s 
country. 

Rapidly  running  through  the  principal 
Classics,  I culled  out  some  dozens  of  gold- 
en quotations  expressing  truths  on  which 
I could  insist,  had  them  written  on  cloth 
placards,  hung  them  up  on  the  walls  in 
the  most  prominent  place  among  the 
Scripture  texts  and  committed  the  sounds 
to  memory. 

Thus  prepared,  I met  the  scholar  enter- 
ing the  door  in  all  his  pride  and  glory 
by  asking  him  if  he  were  a Confucianist. 
This  would  strike  the  Chinese  scholar 
much  as  it  would  you  to  be  politely  asked 
whether  you  are  a gentleman.  An  as- 
tonished “Yes”  was  always  forthcoming. 
Then  I would  tell  him  that  I preach  Con- 
fucius, and  pointing  to  the  selections  on 
the  wall,  perfectly  familiar  to  him,  would 
declare  that  I really  follow  the  best 
teachings  of  the  sage,  while  he  only  con- 
fesses with  his  mouth  to  follow  Confu- 
cius but  in  conduct  disregards,  repudi- 
ates and  violates  the  moral  precepts  of 
his  master. 

I would  then  address  him  somewhat  as 
follows : Confucius  says,  “The  superior 
man  (the  ideal  Confucianist)  is  expert  in 

i6 


righteousness,  the  inferior  man  is  expert 
in  gain.”  What  have  you  come  to  this 
examination  for?  Only  to  make  money. 
That  is  what  you  think  about,  talk  about, 
plan  for.  Gain  is  the  one  great  aim  in 
your  life.  You  say  and  believe  that  hap- 
piness consists  in  being  wealthy.  You 
being  expert  in  gain  are  declared  by  Con- 
fucious  to  be  inferior  men.  Then  I never 
heard  one  of  you  talk  about  righteous- 
ness, neither  do  you  care  for  it  nor  study 
it.  Being  first  class  experts  in  opium- 
smoking, gambling,  licentiousness,  you 
curse  your  ancestors  continually.  You 
are  not  expert  in  righteousness,  so  Con- 
fucius says  you  are  not  superior  men. 
Only  a few  minutes  of  this  treatment  us- 
ually sufficed  to  so  sicken  them  that  they 
did  not  want  to  hear  the  word,  “Classics,” 
and  they  were  ready  to  listen  to  me  with 
some  show  of  respect  since  I had  mani- 
fested a most  embarrassing  knowledge  of 
their  own  books. 

RESULTS. 

The  most  important  results  cannot  be 
seen,  for  this  is  foundation  work.  Many 
times  men  would  come  in  full  of  hostility 
and  fight,  but  would  be  quieted  in  one 
way  or  another  and  return  a number  of 
times  to  listen  quietly.  I was  able  to  rec- 
ognize some  men  who  had  bitterly  attack- 


17 


ed  one  year,  come  in  during  the  next  ex- 
amination and  never  open  their  mouths. 

One  man  made  a profession  of  Christ, 
and  may  prove  the  entering  wedge  into 
Vunsio,  v\?hich  is  the  wildest  and  most 
disagreeable  district  of  the  thirteen  dis- 
tricts into  which  the  island  is  divided, 
and  in  which  there  is  no  Christian  work. 

While  making  a tour  of  the  entire  is- 
land in  1903,  it  was  most  gratifying  to 
find  men  everywhere  who  met  me  kindly 
as  an  acquaintance,  for  they  had  seen 
me  in  the  meetings  I had  held  during  the 
examinations  in  Kiungchow. 

While  I was  making  ready  to  return  to 
America,  an  examination  was  being  held, 
and  every  day  men  were  inquiring  after 
me,  wanting  to  know  if  I were  not  going 
to  hold  meetings  this  year  again ! 

As  I think  over  the  above  account  my 
heart  thrills  with  the  thought  of  all  that 
can  be  done  through  this  work  and  I ex- 
ult in  anticipation  of  the  precious  lights 
that  will  be  set  to  shining  in  places  where 
now  all  is  thick  darkness. 

Anyone  who  is  impelled  by  the  desire 
to  share  in  this  most  glorious  of  work, 
full  of  hope  and  rich  in  reward  both  on 
earth  and  in  heaven,  can  communicate 
with  me  at  the  address  given  below. 

Wherever  arrangements  can  be  made 
I shall  be  very  glad  to  deliver  addresses 

18 


on  missionary  work,  aiming  to  give  a 
more  vivid  idea  of  the  Chinese,  the  effects 
of  heathenism  on  a people,  etc. 

Yours  in  Christ, 

Alfred  E.  Street. 

690'  Eighth  7Cve.7  WeW  Ytifk’Clt^^ 

N.B. — This  statement  will  naturally 
fall  into  the  hands  of  members  of  the  var- 
ioiis  denominations.  I pray  that  it  may 
be  a means  of  arousing  some  who  are  not 
now  interested  in  foreign  missions  to  a 
realization  of  their  divine  privileges  in 
this  work. 

It  is  also  very  desirable  that  those  who 
are  already  interested  may  have  their 
sympathies  and  efforts  so  broadened  and 
deepened  that  when  moved  to  aid  this 
enterprise  they  will  not  suffer  their  share 
in  the  regular  denominational  work  to  be 
decreased  but  rather  to  be  increased,  for 
not  many  give  of  time,  money  and  prayer 
all  that  it  is  their  privilege  to  give. 

A.  E.  S. 

Copies  of  this  booklet  can  be  had  from 
Rev.  A.  E.  '^rdet,  690  Eighth- Ave.,  New 
York  City. 


